Peshawar School Collapse Toll Rises to 33, With 32 Students and a Teacher Dead and Three Children Critical

The number of people killed when the roof of Al Khair School came down in Peshawar on Thursday has climbed to 33. Muhammad Asim, the spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital, said the dead include 32 students and a female teacher. The children were between seven and 14 years old. The toll rose in stages through the day before the hospital issued its updated count.

Three children still critical, rescue declared over

Of the 20 injured children brought to the hospital, most have been sent home after treatment. Three, all with serious head injuries, are still being treated and are described as critical. Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir confirmed the rescue operation is over: the debris has been cleared and no child remains trapped at the site.

A weak structure, extra weight and a night of rain

Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed said the building’s structure was weak and that construction loaded onto the roof brought it down. Rescue officials said heavy overnight rain had left the roof unstable before it gave way during the morning. The school’s owner was arrested earlier in the day, and President Asif Ali Zardari called the collapse heart-wrenching while demanding a full investigation. One father, Samiullah, told reporters he reached the school minutes after hearing the news and helped pull three girls, all under eight, from the rubble.